First Date
by Kyoshi7989
Summary: When Katara and Zuko end up alone at a dinner between friends, she's determined not to let her feelings show. Naturally, it ends with making out anyway. Zutara Fluff! Mentions of Tokka, one-sided Kataang.


**First Date**

Her first date with Aang is the cutest thing that anyone could think of. He picks her up at six, right on time, and hands her a bouquet of irises (she prefers fire lilies, and says nothing).

"That's so thoughtful of you, Aang," Katara exclaims. He beams, and they continue on to Iroh's shop, where they smile coyly at each other over steaming tea.

"Let's go watch the sunset," Katara suggests, and they head outside to lean over the balcony, overlooking a smoggy Ba Sing Se evening. There, they hold hands as they overlook the smoggy Ba Sing Se dusk.

When stars begin to prickle at the horizon, Katara reluctantly informs Aang that it's time for him to fly her back to her townhouse on Appa. They stand among fireflies and share an innocent kiss, before bidding each other a friendly goodnight.

She shuts the door soundly behind her and leans against the wall of the foyer, despairing at her lack of desire to repeat their night. Of course Katara can say nothing to Aang, who has already assumed that they'll stay together forever; who has been introducing her as his girlfriend since the day after they kissed on Iroh's balcony. But she never requests another date, in a vain hope that he'll take the hint.

When he drops by without warning for a "spontaneous date," she swallows her distaste and accompanies him. As they stroll the streets of Ba Sing Se, she pulls her hand away when he reaches for it.

His wounded, round eyes command an explanation. "Some of the other girls are jealous," Katara says, averting her gaze. "Let's safe it for when we're alone, okay?" When she couples her friendly, reasonable tone with a broad smiles, Aang's expression melts.

"Okay. Do you want me to talk to them?" he asks, but Katara rebukes his attempts at assistance; she can handle their envy, she says, but it would be rude for them to flaunt their relationship. Without question, Aang accepts her response, and they continue on as if nothing ever happened.

Yet she grows increasingly unhappy with their relationship. Their few kisses aren't breathtaking or exciting; her heart pounds normally when they embrace; no electricity passes between them when their hands brush. Katara doesn't say anything, but tries to convey it without words, in withheld hugs and chilly replies to Aang's questions.

After a few weeks of this behavior, Aang takes the hint, and the dates stop. He no longer refers to her as his girlfriend, but she sometimes catches him gazing at her before she quickly turns away. The longing in his eyes unnerves her and sets off pangs of guilt in Katara's heart for reasons she doesn't want to think about.

When Zuko comes to visit that spring, they arrange a private dinner between friends, but at the last minute, Aang must broker a treaty. He assures Katara that he'll be alright - she should spend time with Zuko - and she eventually agrees, noting a jealous twinge on Aang's face as he bids them goodbye.

Awed by their importance, the hostess sits them immediately. When Zuko tries to pull out her chair for her, Katara fusses at him. "Don't worry about me, I can do it myself."

As his hands fly off the armrests, Zuko's lips quirk in a smile. "I can see you haven't changed much," he surmises as they take their seats across from one another.

"How's life? You're okay?" Katara asks; the server stops by to pour their tea, and when they sip, they grimace simultaneously.

"Not as good as my Uncle's," Zuko pronounces, resting his cup on the table as gingerly as he might explosive materials. "The tea, I mean," he corrects. "Not my - "

"Not your life," Katara finishes in a murmur. "Yeah, I got that." They stare at each other a moment too long as Katara wonders when his jaw grew that well defined or his cheekbones so sharp, and why his hair is so shaggy outside of its customary bun.

The awkwardness stews around them until she forces her self out of her trance. "So, everything's - " Katara begins.

"Everything in the Fire Nation is good," Zuko interrupts, shaking his head as though he's warding off unnerving thoughts. "And you like Ba Sing Se...?"

"It's nice here. The sunsets are beautiful." A smile flits to her face as Katara pictures Ba Sing Se at dusk: shadowy; toasted golden around the edges by a fading sun...

Zuko mistakes her expression, and assumes, "And I'm sure you've been enjoying them with Aang."

"What?" Katara blinks at him, momentarily confused - and suddenly unable to bear that Zuko thinks that she and Aang are, well, dating, she bursts out with, "Aang and I aren't together, you know." Several other diners glance in her direction, and Katara hushes her voice. "I mean, we're not - we're not dating."

As his face contorts with shock, Zuko says, "Wait, you - what? You've broken up?"

"Well, we were never really together," Katara admits as she traces elemental emblems across the tablecloth.

As Zuko appraises her, his back straightens and expression softens. "I thought you really liked each other. What happened?"

"Nothing," Katara says, and Zuko nods emphatically. 'Nothing,' as a deal-breaker in a relationship, is underrated. "I could never feel anything when we were together..." She trails off, and wonders if Zuko can hear the guilt in her voice.

"Same with Mai," he reveals. "I ended it last month."

"Oh, Zuko!" When she places a comforting hand on his shoulder, Zuko shrugs it off.

"I'm fine," he insists, and something in his voice convinces her. The revelation of the end to his relationship with Mai - and his nonchalance - stirs something in her like satisfaction.

"Well, if you're sure," Katara hesitates, her palm still on his shoulder. For a brief moment, she wonders what would happen if she kept it there - if she reached to cup his face - but snaps her hand back at the thought, like it sears her skin.

Zuko stares at her. "Is something wrong?"

"No, of course not," she denies, far too quickly. Their food - roasted duck, dripping with creamy sauce - arrives moment later, and Katara nearly sighs in relief for an aversion.

"We'll have a bottle of cherry wine, please," Zuko tells the waiter, who bows clumsily and scurries off to fulfill the Firelord's request.

Smirking at the waiter's obedience, Katara whistles appreciatively. "Now you're a big shot, aren't you?" she teases.

"It's a perk." Zuko shrugs, a smile tugging at his lips.

"People worship you," Katara points out. "I keep waiting for our server to build you a shine." At this, Zuko openly chuckles.

"That would be creepy," he says, voice crinkling with amusement.

Satisfaction shoots through Katara at once - she made him laugh! - closely followed by embarrassment. Her feelings for him are clear, but impossible, she reminds herself. Not only are they of two entirely different cultures, but Zuko is two years older. Why would he have interest in her, a lowly, fifteen-year-old, Water Tribe peasant?

As reality presses down on her, Katara's excitement fades to disappointment. She's being crazy, of course. This is just a friendly dinner, not a date.

When the wine arrives, Katara drinks it quickly - perhaps a little too quickly, and Zuko joins in. It isn't like either of them to consume too much alcohol, but a foolish, conniving side of her wonders if there's a reason Zuko doesn't normally drink...and that same reckless, manipulating part of Katara oh-so-wants to take advantage of any loss of his inhibitions.

Of course, the reasonable part of her would never do such a thing - but as it turns out, after the third bottle of cherry red wine, the reasonable part of her becomes a little less tempting.

The server brings bottle when they've finished the first, like he's scared that they'll execute him if deprives them of alcohol, and by dessert, the night has dissolve into giggles and gossip.

"So Toph wants Sokka who wants Suki but secretly wants Ty Lee who not so-secretly wants Suki, who just wants out of the drama?" Zuko summarizes, and shakes his head sadly. "Why am I not surprised?"

Katara giggles too loudly, but Zuko just smiles and gazes at her. Immediately, her stomach flips, but she tries to quell the feeling; she knows that it's only the wine. "I know! I think Sokka should choose Toph," she confides.

But Zuko's nose wrinkles; he obviously disagrees. "But Suki and Sokka have been together a long time," he reminds her.

"Toph has wanted Sokka for longer," Katara counters, staring him pointedly in the eyes.

He nods thoughtfully. "True. I don't suppose you have any plans to meddle with their relationship?" Zuko teases.

Although she's long since learned to laugh at herself, Katara can't help but mutter, "I don't meddle," in response, to which Zuko rolls his eyes.

"What about Iroh and Aunt Wu?" he points out.

"They clearly were in love," Katara retorts. "Even you could tell," she insists, but Zuko frowns.

"I could not!"

"Yeah, maybe you were oblivious." She smirks at Zuko's miffed expression. Teasing him is so much fun, after all. They match each other's gaze, and Katara swears a new sort of tension swells every time their eyes met.

"What time is it?" he asks a moment later, and to her disappointment, looks away.

"Late. We should go," Katara answers, albeit reluctantly. Her responsible side worms its way back into control - she hasn't drunk that much - and she suddenly prays that Zuko won't remember her infatuated behavior toward him. Obviously, he isn't interested...and hopefully, he'll pass off her flirtatious behavior as the influence of alcohol.

Zuko tosses a few coins on the table, and they're off. Stars prickle at the navy sky, and Katara's breath clouds in the chilly spring night.

"Cold? Let me help," Zuko offers, and without waiting for her permission, puts his arm around her. "Can you feel my palms? I'm warming them up."

"Uh, yeah. Thanks," Katara answers, attempting to sound as normal as possible - but she can't, not when he's touching her, leaning against her, so close and so far away at once...

By the time they've neared her townhouse, their bodies press together openly. As they reach her front door, Zuko slips and stumbles forward; Katara barely catches him, his chin now against her shoulder.

They both freeze.

"Good night," he whispers, his breath against her ear. She shivers.

"Good night," Katara murmurs back, and stumbles inside her townhouse before shutting the door soundly behind her.

She leans against the wall, and tries to qualm the regret stinging at the back of her eyes. Nothing happened, nothing will happen, nothing could ever happen -

Just then, in her moment of bitterness, there is a banging on the door, loud and impossible to ignore. She throws it open to see Zuko there, a reckless gleam in his eyes.

"What is it - ?" He cuts her off by pulling her to him by the shoulders and - and -

And kissing her; Zuko kisses her. Even through the alcohol flowing through her system, Katara registers shock, but kisses back as soon as she realizes what's happening. After a minute or so of frantic lips-on-lips, they break apart and stare at each other, breathing hard.

Zuko steps backward and almost trips over her front step all over again as his gaze lingers on her flushed cheeks and bright blue eyes. "Goodnight," he says, a sheepish grin creeping onto his face. "See you."

"See you. Goodnight," Katara whispers back. Long after Zuko disappears down the street, she brings herself to lock the door behind her, and tries in vain to catch her breath.


End file.
